Tuesday, December 27, 2011

I really don't think it's a genuine statement.I mean how can you buy a game for $50 or $60
then dump it a month later?It can't
just be a bunch of teenagers with short attention spans and their parent's
credit cards that accounted for all those record breaking sales.

When you've got
people like Leo Laporte seen playing Skyrim regularly online on his TWIT
network for weeks between shows it can't be just kids.As an average adult with limited means I don't think I'm any
different in being conservative when it comes to spending money.I'm also someone who owns both games and
plays them regularly.Skyrim and BF3 appeal to different sides of my gaming
personality.If I want to run around a
lush open world by myself with only
vague concern about objectives I'm loading up Skyrim.If I want to work on my profile and blow up a
few friends in the process I'm probably playing BF3.

There's not much more to be said than that.The games aren't even in the same genre so it
makes it kind of difficult to substitute one for the other.

Video games are kind of like Heavy Metal bands. Most people think there's no difference
between say Motley Crue and Motorhead but to the informed nothing is further
from the truth. To those who don't play games they all look the same which may have something to do with those same people blaming them for acts of violence.It's a pretty safe bet, for example, that an avid BF3
player isn't going to be spending a lot of time with Train Simulator 2012. At
the very least they'll know it's not the same experience.So
whomever coined my opening quote is likely not a regular gamer.Skyrim offers a personal experience moldable by the
player.Battlefield 3 is more of a
competitive proposition.The choice of
which one you spend your time on has
more to do with what kind of game you want to play than the game itself.I guess I've beaten the topic to death by now.Chalk it up to another soapbox moment on my
anti-hype crusade. I'm just suspicious
of anything that reeks of an uninformed marketing department.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

I can't stand Justin Beiber,He is the embodiment of all that is wrong with a society bent on
appealing to the lowest common denominator.We should demand more of our entertainment choices than that which is
why I've resisted every generation of console game since the Atari 2600.I did have an Atari as a kid but it was an
Atari computer and it did a far better job with Pac Man than any 2600 could
dream of.

Soin case it's not
obvious by now I'm a PC gamer but I see the writing on the wall.There are far fewer titles that are purely
written for the PC these days.What
we're left with most of the time in PC gaming are ports of games written for consoles.Some better than others.

With game franchises like Need For Speed and Modern Warfare
the effort is usually well executed without too many carryovers from the
console.With others the port is obvious
to the point of annoying.Capped frame
rates, bad controls and poor camera angles are hallmarks of a bad port.

So how does one bridge the gap?How does a PC gamer hedge his bet against a
future where PC gaming is reduced to a scant few titles worth playing?

If you can't beat 'em join 'em.....kind of....

I've been trying out a few titles that are obvious console
ports to the PC platform.

The first one I tried out was Star Wars the Force Unleashed 2.I'm a fan of the Star Wars genre and have
something of a history with it.The
first Star Wars title I ever played was an 8 bit title on the Atari PC called
Star Wars which was actually a port from the arcade game back in 1983. Basically
the object of the game was to blow up the death star just like Luke Sywalker
did in "Star Wars: A new hope" It was crude with its wireframe graphics but
impressive for its time.It was the
first game I'd seen that even tried to approach 3D since Atari's Battlezone in
the arcade.

Enough nostalgia.

I tried playing Force Unleashed 2 with both a joystick and
keyboard and soon found myself wanting to break something.The camera angles are awful with a kind of
orbiting third person view that is nothing short of maddening for an FPS
gamer.The controls are far too complex
to be effective on a PC keyboard unless you have 15 fingers and they're all a
foot long.In fact the game's controls
are hard coded for the most part and any controller it finds it treats as a
gamepad.It auto-assigned the buttons on
my Logitech Attack 3 joystick for example rendering it mostly useless as a
controller since I couldn't change the mappings.Suffice it to say I was back on the keyboard
fairly quickly.

That annoyed me.

IT seems almost insane to port a game over to a platform and
do virtually nothing to make it playable ON that platform.

Ok, I admit I bought the game during a Steam sale and it was
about 5 bucks and had horrible reviews for all the same reasons I cited
above.Still, it got me to thinking
about a lot of other games ported to the PC that were similarly afflicted.Perhaps it wasn't so much the platform or the
game as it was the controller I was using.

Here's the part where I take my first baby steps into the
world of consoles.

I had heard that there was a way to make an Xbox controller
work on a PC and even found a few articles on building an adapter to make it
happen. I had to pick up a couple of
UPS's over a weekend and went over to my local Best Buy store.While there I checked out their selection of
XBOX controllers but didn't find anything that worked on a PC.So I paid for my UPS's and left.Later on in the dayI had a hunch and browsed over to Newegg.com where
I did a search on Xbox Controllers.I
found that Microsoft indeed offered a Windows version of the Xbox 360
controller that connected via a standard USB port.It works on the 360 as well by disconnecting
the USB adapter dongle.

So for $33 I went ahead and made the purchase.Two days later it arrived at my door.

Luckily for me I didn't have to wait too long to see if I'd
be able to bridge the console/PC gaming experience.The following night was a game night so I'd
be able to see if I had a solution to all those bad console ports.

After installing the driver on my gaming rig and plugging in
the controller I decided to try it out.My friend had picked me up a copy of Disney's "Split Second"
driving game.Normally I'd hook up the
joystick to try it out but since I already had the Xbox controller hooked up I used
it instead.

To my surprise and my friend's amusement I fumbled my way
into driving a few decent laps in the game.I had also installed Activision's "Blur" which is another
driving game.My friend kept telling me
to relax as I apparently looked tense while playing.

Both games recognized the Xbox controller but Blur was
almost unplayable without it.Blur like
Force Unleashed 2 had no provision for a joystick and minimal keyboard
control.Driving games seem to be a good
point of entry into using a gamepad since controls are less numerous and complex
than an RPG or FPS title.

When I returned to Force Unleashed 2 I proved that
point.I'm still getting used to complex
control sequences with the Xbox controller and didn't do much better than my
previous experience with the keyboard.The fact that I'd never used a controller like this before is causing me
a bit of a learning curve but I'm starting to get a feel for it.It's definitely less awkward than the keyboard
when playing games like these.

SoI still don't own
an Xbox, PS whatever or Nintendo anything but I am putting a foot into their
world.I still prefer the PC as a gaming
platform as even console ports look better on it.Consoles are nothing but purpose built pc's
at heart but the upgrade paths are minimal and hardware refresh cycles are
pretty long.Even the Xbox 360 is a five
year old hardware platform which wouldn't be able to play Modern Warfare 2 at
the detail and resolutions I'm used to on the PC.

Consoles are due for a major refresh, however and the next
generation is likely to be on par with gaming PC's today.Increasingly consoles are also going beyond their
gaming roots.Blue Ray/DVD playback, streaming
media, internet access and even social networking are being built into their firmware.

Whatever the next generation of consoles bring I'm hoping
that I'll be able to continue to enjoy gaming no matter what platform it's
on.I'm pretty sure I've taken the first
step in that direction.

Yep, it's the holidays on Steam again and for the past
day a lot of disappointed people (me included) have been getting these
errors.If you're lucky enough to
actually get the initial store page enjoy it while you can as chances are you
aren't going any further.

Steam had been running a daily giveaway based on user's
"wish lists " whereby clicking on the daily game deal would
automatically enter into a chance to be one of 10 lucky Steam users to get
their top 10 games from their wish lists for free.

That all ended Monday December 19th at 10AM when the
Steam winter Sale started.At that point
most games in the Steam library were offered at a discount with a new promotion
called the "Gift Pile" whereby you were awarded discount coupons or
free games for completing daily objectives listed on the Gift Pile Page.The objectives change every 24 hours and
include awards ranging from just showing up on Steam to completing a task in a
specific game.In a stroke of marketing
genius many objectives require certain games to be in your "library"
to complete the task.If you don't have
the particular game you have the opportunity to purchase it right from the
"gift pile" screen usually at a discount.

So with all this promotional blitz it's no wonder the
service is experiencing a heavy load.Just
like Christmas this kind of buying frenzy only comes around once a year.Although the summer sales can cause outages
they pale in comparison to the holiday rush on Steam.

So enjoy some holiday cheer and set your alarm clock to
some ungodly hour of the night over the next few days when all the normal
people are dreaming of dancing sugarplums should you want to partake in the
frenzy.

Monday, December 19, 2011

So your lights are strung and the inflatable Santa is
prominently displayed in your front yard proclaiming the arrival of the holiday
season.Of course for a lot of gamers
the holidays are best enjoyed in front of their gaming pc or console.

It seems everything has a holiday theme this time of year
and for gamers it's no different.Admittedly some of the offerings seem a bit out of step with the overall
holiday theme but for connoisseurs of the pastime it's a perfect fit.

As gaming becomes more mainstream it's not surprising to see
developers acknowledging the holidays as it takes its place among other more
serious entertainment mediums. Gaming platforms have become more powerful and
with them have come more immersive titles that allow an experience impossible
just a few years ago.Far removed from
their pixelated predecessors we can now experience the holidays in Highly
textured realms both familiar and festive.

After all why not spread a little holiday cheer while
battling hordes of baddies?Nothing says
Christmas to a gamer like mowing down zombies adorned with Santa hats and
sharpened candy canes!

Holiday themes are becoming something of a tradition
themselves in gaming.Special maps in
FPS titles and holiday snow seems to be showing up in some of our favorites.It's a trend that started a few years back
but seems to be more prevalent now.

If dispatching zombies are your thing then you won't want to
miss Killing Floor's Twisted Christmas with special holiday themed maps and
weaponry designed to dispatch bad Santas and vengeful gingerbread men
alike.The event runs from December 7th
till January 4th and is free DLC for owner's of the game.

If you'd rather dispatch your online competition in a fast
moving FPS then check out the Australian Christmas event in Team Fortress 2
which is free to play on Steam.A number
of special weapons and holiday themed items will be available through December
22nd.Be sure to check out the Mann Co.
store for special discounts up to 75% through January 2nd.

Into Real Time Strategy games?One of the best is on EA's Free to Play
network.Lord of Ultima is a web based online browser
based RTS game.As they did last year, they're
getting ready to turn the green hills of Caledonia white with holiday snow and
festive decorations.Be sure to check
out the Christmas trees in the center of your marketplaces.

One of the earlier special holiday themed game modifications
was way back in 2004 with a special map for Id and Splash Damages' Wolfenstein:
Enemy Territory which was a free to play follow-up to the then popular FPS
title Return to Castle Wolfenstein.The
map included holiday decorations on Santa's workshop as well as a barn setting
complete with reindeer.

The holiday season is creeping into more and more of our
favorite titles.Even if you're not the
type to be donning a Santa hat between Halloween and New Years you can still
enjoy the special offerings in some of your favorite games.

So warm up the game rig, tune in to your favorite holiday
music station and enjoy the season fragging with some friends in a winter
wonderland.

Monday, December 12, 2011

It's an interesting experience to play a first person
shooter online.You'll encounter players
that cover the spectrum from the casual to the maniacal.I fall somewhere in the middle of that pack
with a leaning towards the casual.

I'm old enough to know it's just a game but committed enough
to figure out how to play it right.Well
at least well enough to rise above the "noob" moniker most of the
time.

So I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the hardcore players
with little patience for "noobs".In case you didn't know, a "noob" is a player new to the game.If your first experience in a FPS title
involved dying multiple times without firing a shot in the same minute then
you've had the pleasure.

Aside from the obvious example above (which really happens
BTW) Hardcore gamers will either use the noobs for target practice or ignore
them till they get in the way of their kill streak.The latter usually results a tirade against
the hapless victim in the chat window.

I've learned to grow a thick skin, you have to or you'll either
stop playing or start breaking inanimate objects.

Perhaps it's a side effect of the immersion that's possible
in current games that turns otherwise reasonable people into raving maniacs
online.I honestly can't say if it's age related since
the most sedate 40 something can turn into a 12 year old given the right circumstance.

Everyone was a noob once.After awhile, however, you learn how to read a server list.Most FPS games like Battlefield 3 will give
you a list of servers showing different attributes.For example; on BF3 servers you can see what
map is currently active, whether anti-cheating measures are enabled and how
many players the map supports.If you
drill deep enough into the server information you can even see what players are
currently playing.

Here's a tip, if you're level 3 and most of the other
players are level 40 you may want to look for another server.

As with any new competitive experience, it's best to play
against those who are better than you but I'd recommend against any David vs.
Goliath scenarios.As you browse the
server lists you'll often see descriptions indicating "noob friendly"
or blocking players above a certain level.

If you want to play online, look for servers like these
where you can get experience and not just be an easy kill to pad a higher level
players statistics.

Here's another tip.Most of the players whining about "noobs" are frustrated
because they're not being allowed to run the map.Nothing's worse than a control freak on a
power trip but you can safely ignore them.If they begin mowing down teammates they'll usually get kicked off the
server by the admin and if not it's time to go to another server.

Even knowing all of that I'm still occasionally taken back
by the visceral exchanges and playground politics that exist in the multiplayer
world.That may explain why some games
have thrown away the server list entirely and simply match up players of
similar level and throw them on a map.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 takes this approach.It makes for a more balanced multiplayer experience
but doesn't allow for a choice of servers or complex tactics.That's also one of the reasons Modern Warfare
is more of an RPG than an FPS.

Hardcore FPS gamers generally hate Call of Duty for that
reason.It's hard to be a control freak
if you never have the opportunity to monopolize a map.

Regardless, never allow anyone to cheat you out of an
experience you put hard earned money down for.You have as much a right to be there as the seasoned veterans.FPS games are just commodity products
dependant on volume sales.If the game
gets a bad reputation for being hostile toward new players it will be reflected
in the revenue stream.No game publisher
is going to allow that to happen.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Right up front let me apologize
if this edition of midagedgamer seems like a 3000 character Twitter post.From time to time I like to step away from
the mechanics of being a middle aged gamer and observe the lifestyle itself.

This week a friend of mine came
down with what is most likely the flu (although he probably won't admit it) so
the regular Saturday gaming night didn't happen.Whether I'm busy earning a living or just
treading water the Saturday gaming night is an important event.So when it gets sidelined by outside forces
it's a real blow.As I've written earlier, gaming
for me is not so much a pastime as it is a social event.Playing Battlefield 3 or maintaining my Lord
of Ultima empire during the week while fun are really for the benefit of the
big night of the week, Saturday.Efforts to level up, make
progress on a map or even try out new hardware tweaks have a dual benefit.It's fun while you're doing it but it also
provides interesting topics for discussion.Perhaps that's the primary difference between younger gamers and folks
like myself.As I said, I look at the Saturday night LAN
party as a social event.My friend and I usually go
out and grab some dinner somewhere (and eat better than we did all week) to discuss all the recent happenings in our travels. In my case it's usually something about a job
interview, a client issue or gaming during the previous week.It's very social and even as the
night goes on there's a vibrant discussion about any number of topics.Of course there's the gaming but there's also
(sometimes heated) discussion on any number of topics.The point is that an emoticon can never
replace the expression on someone's face.For me it's not enough to merely
meet friends in some online lobby regularly.It's too
confining and allows for little interaction outside of the gaming context.I've often said my game nights are the
equivalent to the old "poker night" stereotype.Other than the use of a PC instead of a poker
table it's really the same thing.My generation is commonly called
Generation X or the MTV generation.We
grew up when social technologies were in their infancy.There were home computers and game consoles
back then but they were merely a substitute for the video arcade. Phones weren't "Smart" and the most entertainment anything with a dialtone could muster came from dialing the prefix "1-900" or making a tune with the keypad. It was far more fun to actually
go somewhere that lots of other people like you would congregate.Video arcades sprang up everywhere but the
best were usually in shopping malls or attached to mini-golf parks ( My
favorite was Golf and Stuff in Phx. )

There you could find your friends
or others just like you enjoying the atmosphere and each other's company.

Before you think I've gone all
soft and nostalgic I'll mention that it wasn't quite utopia and I had a few
memorably bad experiences.All in all,
however, the experience laid the foundation
for what I consider leisure time today.

I enjoy technology but for me
it's far more fun to explore with my friends.Preferably in the same room or at least the same location.

It seems the succeeding
generations while very social and connected to the point of ridiculous, only
interact on a superficial level.Put
something disagreeable to them on their FaceBook wall and you're likely to get
a visceral response rivaled only by a political debate between candidates from opposing
parties.

It's all about the image these
days.It was back when I was a kid as
well but back then it was harder to fake.We had to interact with each other without the luxuries afforded by the
layer of abstraction that is the Internet.The "Smartphone set" will likely disagree with that statement
but I've found it hard to develop relationships with people who are forever
staring at their Smartphone whilst giving themselves carpal thumbs.How do you hold a conversation with someone
who barely looks at you?

While talking to these people, I
sometimes feel like the neglected wife whose husband only ever responds,
"yes dear" to any query.

Just for fun I sometimes make
silly faces while talking to them.Sadly, they rarely notice. Interacting "live" has been reduced
to nothing more relevant than going through the checkout aisle at the
supermarket.Even that is slowly going
away with RFID and self-checkout registers.

I believe that my generation
still has a need for interpersonal relationships beyond just supporting an
image and sex.I also believe that
succeeding generations have the same needs but believe that they've satisfied them
with social media technologies.

They really haven't...

Though they'll have to be my age
before they even acknowledge the possibility.By then they may quite literally be socially retarded or society will
change to the point where our carefully crafted "e-image" is all we
care about.You see early signs of it
today.Put something off-color on the
Internet and it will haunt you the rest of your life.Possibly preventing you from getting a decent
job or running for public office.

That's why I don't put anything
on the Internet that I might regret later.So much for the promise of free speech and the liberation of ideas.It seems that more and more we're concerned
with what we want people to believewe are than who we really
are.

Let me pull this back to being a
middle aged gamer.The point of all of this is that
I enjoy my time with my friends no matter what we're doing.I prefer to be gaming above all else but I'm
satisfied just to be amongst my peers in person.The worst gaming night is still orders of
magnitude better than the best online meet up.At least to me it is.

We're all bound together by
shared experience.The quality of that
experience colors our impressions of the world around us.Technology should be a catalyst instead of a
replacement for our personal interactions.

Ask yourself this, how many
people do you know of your own age who don't have a FaceBook page?I don't know too many but those are the
people I seem to have the best time with.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Article first published as Battlefield 3 December 6th update on Technorati.EAreleased an update for
Battlefield 3 at midnight December 6th.Prior to release it was saidto
be a 2GB download but in my experience was actually 3.9 GB in size.Fixes for game bugs andMultiplayer balancing tweaks were included in
the patch as well as content for the upcoming "Back to Karkand"
expansion pack.It's the expansion pack
content that likely swelled the size of the update in my case.

The expansion pack DLC is available as an add-on purchase for $14.99 from
EA's origin service with a posted release date of December 13th on the Origin
site.Those who pre-ordered the
"Limited Edition" version of Battlefield 3 will receive the DLC at no
charge.

Immediately after the patch installed and patched servers became available
I played a few online games of BF3.I
immediately noticed better response in the controls and less frequent game
crashing and frozen black screens.I
also noticed that the 4 player minimum start enforcement enforced by the last
BF3 patch had been removed. There appears to have been some work on gamepad/joystick
controls as well.These changes are
mentioned in the patch notes that follow.

The official press release stated both a client and server update would be
deployed.The official statement
follows.

The
client/server combination will be incompatible with older clients/servers. All
players will be prompted to download the update once it has been released. All
RSP companies will begin upgrading their servers at the same time.

The client update is large because it contains most of the content for Back to
Karkand. This is not ideal, so we aim to make potential DLC content in the
future as optional downloads.

Bugfixes

Fixed a problem with spawn timer now showing blue border on startup and lost
spawn point
Fixed a problem where player who joined queuing on End of round got spawn
screen stuck on screen, but unable to do anything with it untill next round
loaded
Fixed a problem where camera would change to 3rd person on killcam when killcam
was turned off in server settings
Fixed stat references on several dogtags
Fixed for surveillance ribbon not counting TUGS
Fixed a missing combat area lines on the minimap for Grand Bazaar conquest
small
Moved a tank spawn in US base on Caspian Border so it would not be destroyed by
a falling tree
Fixed a problem where placing C4 with the russians soldier was playing US
faction VO
Fixed a problem where TV guided missiles could be shot into its own helicopter
and destroy it
Fixed a problem when attempting to fire lock on weapons without a target
Tweaked the chat, it should now be a bit easier to read
Fixed several vehicles that did not properly shoot rockets and guns towards
their predictive sights
Fixed the G17 Supressed Laser not working properly
Added alternate HUD colors to help colorblinds
Added a network interpolation setting. This allows users with good bandwidth
reduce latency, but might increase some stuttering. The user can find what
works best for his connection by tweaking the slider.
Increased the Spawn protection radius on TDM
Fixed a problem with smoke on land vehicles, Missiles should now miss more
often
Fixed a problem where users could end up with IRNV scope in any vehicle
Fixed a problem where player dies if vaulting over a ledge and into water while
sprinting
Fixed several crashes and increased general stability
Fixed a problem where the user was unable to revive two players that have the
bodies one over the other
Fixed so you can assign an axis and use as a digital input. This makes it
possible for the player (on pc) to assign one of the sticks on a gameped to be
used for throttle/brake.
Fixed a problem with the Kill camera acting up when suiciding from parachute
Fixed air radar was showing to much. now lasertagged, heatsignature above
threshold, enemy missiles and capture points are only visible on air radar
Fixed a problem where the game would enter a technical hang if the user pressed
pause menu and tilde at the same time
Fixed a problem where you could get green flashes on screen
You can now reassign cycle weapons
Fixed so the weapon zooms automatically after bipod deploy is gone when using
zoom toggle
Fixed a problem where the parachute would stay stuck in air if the owner was
killed

Balance Tweaks

Fixed several weapons so they are properly suppressed and hide the player on
the minimap when fired.
Tweaked Tactical Light so it is not as blinding over longer ranges.
Tweaked the IRNV scope so it is limited to usage only at close range.
Reduced heat masking effectiveness of Spec Ops Camo.
Fixed a bug where Ammo spec would give additional 40mm grenades instead of Frag
spec.
Increased the number of additional 40mm grenades from Frag spec.
Fixed so AT mines only live for 20 seconds after a player dies to prevent
infinite mines.
Increased the Time to Live on sniper caliber rounds to allow extreme distance
shots.
Fixed several weapon descriptions, calibers, and fire rates. The weapons
themselves have not changed.
Fixed so the M9 and MP443 pistol can be equipped by the opposing faction when
it is unlocked at 100 kills.
Fixed Laser Guided Missiles missing their targets if the target is moving too
fast.
Reduced the effectiveness of Stealth on Air Vehicles.
Reduced the effectiveness of Beam Scanning for Jets.
Reduced the damage done to Armored Vehicles and Infantry from AA guns.
Increased the damage RPGs and Tank shells do to AA vehicles.
Slightly decreased the accuracy for all weapons on fully automatic, burst fire
is now preferable at mid to long range.
Increased the effective accuracy of long bursts for LMGs when using a bipod.
Slightly increased the range of the 44magnum bullets.
Increased the close range damage of 4.6x30mm and 5.7x28mm bullets.
Increased the reload time of the Mortar from 3.5sec to 4.8sec and increased the
time it takes before a shell hits the ground.
Reduced the aimed accuracy bonus given by a Suppressor for the MP7, P90,
PP2000, PP-19, and UMP45.
Increased the range and FOV for designating targets with the SOFLAM and vehicle
Laser Designators.
Decreased the effectiveness of 12g FRAG ammo when equipped on semi-automatic
and automatic shotguns.
Slightly Increased the power of Fighter Jet Cannons against all vehicle
targets, especially Helicopters.
Decreased the power of Miniguns against Jets and Helicopters.
Increased the power of Stingers against Jets.
Flares reload times for Jets and Helicopter Gunners have been increased.
Tweaked the AN94 so its burst fire better conveys the real world advantage
offered by this weapon.
Added Single Shot to the AN94 as an available fire mode.
Slightly increased the recoil on the M416 and removed the Burst Fire mode (this
weapon incorrectly had burst fire, which was not authentic).
Tweaked the spawns for TDM on Kharg Island, Grand Bazaar, Caspian Border, Seine
Crossing, Operation Firestorm, Damavand Peak and Noshahar Canals
Moved a tank spawn in US base on Caspian Border so it would not be destroyed by
a falling tree
Tweaked the Gas station Capture area on Conquest on Caspian Border
Tweaked the max vehicle height on Noshahar Canals

Min player requirements

Also, it will once again be possible to reduce the number of players required
to start a round to 1 both in ranked and unranked mode. We changed it back
after getting a lot of negative feedback from both individuals and the RSP
companies.

Our plan for the future is to introduce a warm-up mode, where players can move
about and play the game, but with scoring disabled; then, when the number of
players goes above the threshold -- that's when the real round starts.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Article first published as Could Your iPad Replace Your Game Console? on Technorati.The New York Times reported that a company called Onlive wants you to leave your consoles and PC's behind and take your game experience to your mobile devices.We all know how comparatively pathetic the processing and graphics power of even the newest mobile devices are compared to even the most mundane desktop computer. Sure, a stirring game (or 20) of Angry Birds may fill the time sink of the dreaded airport layover but it can't compare with fragging your friends on your PC or console. More and more we see mobile devices extending into realms previously unthinkable simply because the price of mobility was reduced capability. Even the most efficient gaming laptops have to trade processing and graphics horsepower for power consumption and heat management. So how can your IPAD or Android tablet play Arkham City? The answer is the almost ubiquitous "Cloud" that's permeated everything from your music collection to productivity apps. Onlive is a cloud based gaming service available to almost any internet connected device including smart phones and tablets.The simplest way to understand it is to look at the experience as a layer of abstraction between you and the game. Onlive services require a "player" or app to use their service. When you connect to their service and select your game you are essentially connecting to a remote host that you control. If you've ever experienced remote control of your pc via gotomypc or Windows remote desktop then you've got a good idea of how this would work. The user connects to their game host on the Onlive service via app( mobile devices and PC's ) or a hardware device (TV's). Then the magic happens. Since this is a remote connection and only control sequences and screen refreshes are being sent; your device's internet connection is the only hardware to be concerned about.But what about controller lag over the connection? Any FPS gamer worth their salt knows what lag can do to a multiplayer gaming session let alone beating down baddies in Arkham city. To answer this Onlive claims, "OnLive says it has solved this problem by figuring out a method of efficiently packaging video images of a live game that it delivers over the Internet, and that allows for instantaneous response to actions by players as they control the movement of characters within a game."For the majority of their customers it's likely this scenario would work well. Gamers like me, however, who are sensitive to issues like microstutter and controller lag would likely have issues. The reason being that you can never completely eliminate lag even on a local gaming system. The difference is that the lag you experience on a console or PC is undetectable under normal circumstances (how long is a nanosecond anyway?) but over a remote connection that can be amplified to the point of affecting your gameplay even if you don't consciously perceive it.

Still, this is one of the more unique permutations of a cloud service.

On review of their 150 titles I searched for Call of Duty, Need for Speed and any Battlefield title. I found none. . I could assume the lack of such titles may be due to licensing issues specific to those games or a delay in getting them on the Onlive system but searches for older titles in those series tend to favor the former possibility.

I did find Orcs must Die, Call of Juarez and Batman: Arkham City, however.

Games like BF3 and MW3 have a much more involved multiplayer system with licensing more tied to the user than the software media. BF3 even attempts to synchronize saved games to the cloud but ...

Oh wait!

Stop!

We're trying to sync a local file to the cloud!

That's not going to be possible with a service such as Onlive because it's not your hardware. That may be another reason why Onlive promises multiplayer but doesn't include certain game titles in their catalog.

This is also a reason why game publishers like EA and Activision need to start taking the cloud seriously. Licensing has gotten more liberal in the past few years but the mechanics are stuck in the last decade.

Issues like lag and localization of game files are a current stumbling block for the serious gamer on these services. Still, such services may be a catalyst for game publishers to improve long standing annoyances that detract from their titles such as a lack of portability in saved games.

Some may see cloud based gaming as accelerating the demise of gaming on the PC and even consoles. That can only be true if you think Crush the Castle is a premium gaming experience. There's no danger of the legions of serious gamers tossing out their multiple monitor high horsepower gaming systems for an IPAD app.

It's more likely that it's just another avenue to expose a wider audience to a more immersive gaming experience. One that goes beyond even what Onlive can provide.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

I've already written an article comparing Battlefield 3 and
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 and in that article I said that Modern Warfare 3
was more like playing a movie than a game.I still hold that opinion.

Since that article I've had more time with it and just
recently completed the Single player campaign.It took about 9 hours culminating in a textbook Modern Warfare boss
battle.Very satisfying but a bit short
for $59.99.

Recently an article on Kotaku entitled "Why Modern
Warfare 3 Remains an Un-game" again criticized Modern Warfare 3 for being
more spectator sport than game.A
sentiment commonly echoed from fans of Battlefield 3.

I've noticed fans of Battlefield 3 (BF3) have an almost
visceral reaction to Modern Warfare 3 when the two are compared.It's understandable but a bit unfair.The two share little more than a setting
(World War 3) and game play modes.

Fans of the Battlefield series love it for the game
play.A quality somewhat lacking in
Modern Warfare 3.Modern Warfare's
strengths have been the storyline and the cooperative modes.In Modern Warfare3 the single player campaign is tightly
scripted with scant opportunity to stray too far off the beaten path.

One of the primary complaints from the "un-game"
article comes to mind here.The author
expressed his feeling that the player was always put in a deprecated role
subservient to other non-player characters. Anyone who's spent any time with the Modern
Warfare series knows that nothing happens until the player takes some kind of
action.

The game relies on trigger points that prevent NPC's from
doing anything until you trip it.So the
player is critical to the action but enjoys few laurels aside from completing
the mission. This is likely where much of the discord between Battlefield Fans
and Modern Warfare fans lies.

Modern Warfare 3's (MW3 from now on) single player doesn't
allow you to freely roam around the map or cater to your Rambo fantasies.Your role is to complete the objectives or
rather to survive them.Instead of
clever tactics the player needs to overcome obstacles in a well defined path.

I've also commented on the visuals of MW3 which while well
implemented do fall flat from the perspective of a FPS gamer.For example, in one of the later missions in
MW3 you are attempting to surreptitiously cross a courtyard guarded by snipers,
assorted militia and attack dogs.While
I was waiting for the "Go" signal I looked around the environment and
decided to zoom in on one of the brick walls.What I saw was a texture that reminded me of "Doom"

In the world of custom cars a paint job that only looks
acceptable from a distance is commonly called "a ten footer"Visuals in MW3 are meant to be experienced
this way.Much like the false front
buildings on a Hollywood movie set have little detail on close inspection and so
it is in MW3.The story and not the
visual detail is what immerses the player.Battlefield 3's visuals while not used to their full potential are
better than MW3 but the BF3 story lacks depth.Visual detail in a FPS is critical to success as distinguishing an enemy
from a rock often determines the outcome of a skirmish.RPG's while attractive are much less
dependent on that level of detail.

It's not unlike the difference between a simulation and
arcade racing game.For Example;
Consider the difference in game play between Need For Speed Shift with its
detailed textures and realistic physics and Need For Speed Hot Pursuit with its
endless nitrous boosts and impossible driving maneuvers.

Being a veteran of a number of games in the Call of Duty
series I have enough experience to notice when a shortcut's been taken.If it weren't for a good storyline I'd almost
call MW3 a re-run.The reason being that
I felt a strange sense of déjà-vu as I went through the single player
missionsOftenit seemed as though the same missions from
Modern Warfare 2 were reused with a few subtle changes.

It was more than just familiar game play rather it seemed as
though the mission objectives were applied to a similar map with different
textures.For example; there's a mission
where you must use a predator drone to take out waves of baddies threatening
your squad in a disused diamond mine.This was almost the same experience as the Sniper Fi cooperative mission in MW2.

After finishing the Single Player Experience in MW3 the game
takes you to the cooperative mode of the game.As in MW2 you can play these missions solo or with a friend and just as
in MW2 the first mission you're presented with is the timed shooting gallery
mission. Déjà-vu indeed.

It's understandable why MW3 enjoys the popularity it has
even with Activision's reluctance to offer any discounts on the title.An MW3 player is generally not the hardcore
FPS gamer but more likely a fan of the RPG genre.MW3 caters to such a player with an immersive
storyline and compelling characters.

BF3 fans will bemoan the lack of tactics and weak "run
and gun" game play options of MW3's multiplayer.Such comparisons ultimately fall flat simply
because it's an apples and oranges comparison.It would be just as incorrect to pan BF3 because of a weak story as it
would be to pan MW3 for its game mechanics.

In short there really isn't a comparison.MW3 exists in its own right as does BF3.

In a recent article on the Video Gaming news site Kotaku an
article entitled, "War Crimes in Video Games Draw Red Cross Scrutiny"
caught my attention.You can read it for
yourself and draw your own conclusions but as a gamer I find the premise of the
International Red Cross' argument without merit.

There's no denying that the International Red Cross is
compelled by its charter to "...protect
the victims of international and internal armed conflicts. That includes war
wounded, prisoners, refugees, civilians, and other non-combatants."

It now seems that may
move to extend that charter to the realm of video games,

"... The
question they debated this week is whether their mandate should be extended to
the virtual victims of video game wars."

I couldn't help but read that last line with a sense of
incredulity.

I find it utterly ridiculous that an organization concerned
with the well being of the oppressed would devote its resources to the defense
of pixels.

Are there offensive video games that treat their characters
inhumanely with little to no regard for human life?Of course there are.There's no shortage of human carnage and
wanton disregard for the rule of law in video games.However, the premise that it's presence is
somehow a war criminal training ground is nothing short of an extension of the
nanny nation to a global scale.

Let's not forget that video games like movies, TV and music
are nothing more than an entertainment medium.The assertion that involvementin
a violent entertainment medium will somehow contribute to one's deviant
behavior is as ridiculous.If that were
the case then we could all be theoretical physicists just by watching a movie
about Einstein a few dozen times.

The prevailing argument against any violent media is that it
desensitizes the consumer making violent and inhumane acts more tolerable in the real
world.By extension showing a character
assassinating an innocent will somehow make the real life act acceptable.

As a gamer, First Person Shooters are part of my
repertoire.Most of these involve some
level of armed conflict with military or paramilitary contexts.I've had my share of violent ends and
dispatched a few well textured pixel baddies in my time but I've never had the
desire to commit genocide after a spirited gaming session.

In most First Person shooters, it's the bad guys committing
the atrocities.That's how it is in the
Modern Warfare series.In Modern Warfare
there's always some maniacal despot leading a legion of degenerates bent on
leaving civilization in smoldering ruins.

There's little opportunity for peaceful negotiation and the
bullets fly fairly quickly after the start of a mission.Sometimes
there's a contingent of innocent civilians hampering your efforts.Too many misplaced shots in their direction
will bring instant repercussion and ruin your day (in a virtual sense).

It's far better to bring the ugliness of atrocity to light
in an entertainment medium than to whitewash over it and turn conflict into
something neat and tidy.If a war crime
is depicted then let it be as horrific and graphic as the developer can
stomach.Not for some sense of dark
satisfaction but rather to dismiss any illusion that such actions can ever be
acceptable.

The problem with neutering violent video games is that you
remove the consequence of violence.It's
far more dangerous to have your dispatched opponent morph into a bouquet of
flowers than to see the grisly aftermath of a violent action.